Jonathan announces 2m Naira reward for Golden Eaglets

Jonathan made the announcement at a
special reception in honour of the
victorious Golden Eaglets, held at the
Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in
Abuja.
The President announced a cash reward
of N2 million to each of the team’s 19
players.
Jonathan also gave N3 million to the
head coach, Manu Garba, and N2.5
million each to the two assistant coaches,
Nduka Ugbade and Emmanuel Amunike.
The team’s doctor, physiotherapist,
secretary, and the Chief Technical Officer
were rewarded with N500,000 each.
Also, the Team Co-ordinator, Media
Officer and Curator were given N300,000
each.
The President also said that the players,
all their handlers and some key officials
of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club
would be given national honours at a
later date.
Jonathan, who described the cash
rewards as ”very very little tokens” from
the federal government, urged state
governments, the private sector and
public-spirited individuals to follow the
federal government’s step in rewarding
the Eaglets.
The President extolled the team’s
dedication, discipline and spirit of
sportsmanship, noting that they brought
honour to the nation.
He said ”with commitment and hard
work, from being the second best in
Africa, the Eaglets had transformed to the
best in the world by winning the World
Cup”.
Jonathan noted that with the consistent
winning of five major tournaments in the
last two years, Nigeria had recorded its
golden era in sports.
The President attributed the success in
the sector to the pro-active measures and
policy action taken by his administration
after the the country’s disappointing
performance at the 2012 London
Olympics.
He assured that his administration would
continue to provide necessary support in
terms of facilities and funding to the
sports sector.
”The victory of the Eaglets was for the
whole of Africa and the beginning of the
revival in the nation’s sorts sector,”
Jonathan said.
He also charged stakeholders in the
sector to harness the potentials of the
victorious Eaglets for greater successes.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of Sports,
Bolaji Abdullahi, said that the success
recorded by the team was not by accident
but as a result of a system reconstructed
to deliver results.
He said the process of selecting the
victorious 19 players was rigorous and
competitive, devoid of favouritism.
Abdullahi said the successes recorded so
far in the sports sector in the last two
years had placed Jonathan as the most
successful President in Nigerian sports
history.
”The victorious Golden Eaglets team is
not just a team but a project and their
winning will not be the end but a
beginning of greater victory for the
nation,” he said.
Before the President’s speech, the captain
of the team, Musa Mohammed, had
presented the cup to Abdullahi, who in
turn presented it to the President.
The Ambassador of Mexico to Nigeria,
whose country played the final match
with the Eaglets, was also at the event.
He presented the home and away jersies
of his country’s national football team to
the President in a show of spirit of
sportsmanship.
Vice-President Namadi Sambo, the
Senate President, Sen. David Mark, and
his Deputy, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, were
also at the reception.
Others at the event included the Speaker
of the House of Representatives, Hon.
Aminu Tambuwal and his Deputy, Hon
Emeka Ihedioha.
Also at the event were state governors
such as Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom,
Jonah Jang of Plateau, Babangida Aliyu
of Niger, Liyel Imoke of Cross Rivers,
ministers and presidential aides.